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People performing searches this afternoon on YouTube for videos to watch are being treated to an ominous-looking banner perched atop the search results, warning them that their search results might contain "confidential content," like this:

Though it looks forbidding, Google assures us that the banner's visibility is actually due to a snafu rather than anything nefarious or secret. When the banner started appearing in our own search results, Ars reached out to Google for comment. A spokesperson explained that the anomalous banner is due to "a bug" and that its presence is entirely accidental.

YouTube also quickly reacted with a tweet to assure folks that nothing worrisome was happening:

Everyone may now return to your regularly scheduled Thursday afternoon "YouTube Uptime Verification." At least, that's what we call it around here. Just don't tell Ken (Oh, he knows... now. -Ed).

Promoted Comments

Hey YouTube up-time verification is very important. I make sure to engage in monitoring this important service on a regular basis. You are engaging in important and respected work, and I, for one, welcome your findings and insights.

261 posts | registered Oct 16, 2012

Lee Hutchinson
Lee is the Senior Technology Editor at Ars and oversees gadget, automotive, IT, and culture content. He also knows stuff about enterprise storage, security, and manned space flight. Lee is based in Houston, TX. Emaillee.hutchinson@arstechnica.com//Twitter@Lee_Ars

18 Reader Comments

Hey YouTube up-time verification is very important. I make sure to engage in monitoring this important service on a regular basis. You are engaging in important and respected work, and I, for one, welcome your findings and insights.

What I want to know is why Google/Youtube keep insisting they need my telephone number in case I forget my password to my account. What happened to emailing forgotten passwords?

Something is wrong with this voting system when a simple question warrants down votes. I think its a good question. If all the websites out there you are a member of consistently implied you need to register your phone number to post a comment or to contribute, how many of you would do that, especially a company that's primary focus is selling advertising?

Also, if you register a fake phone number and lose your password, they will only ring the number, not email you the password with the email account you used to set up your account. Not only is this curious to me, but I think there is potential here for abuse. What if I had malicious intent with someone and tried to log in to their account, just so they would get a robocall from youtube with their password?

What if I want to anonymously upload fraud or expose human rights abuses without fear of repercussions? If I have to give a phone number to set up my account, I may not do it and that may not serve the greater good of the community I live in or the people suffering under the abuse or fraud. There are a lot of questions to ask about this.

What I want to know is why Google/Youtube keep insisting they need my telephone number in case I forget my password to my account. What happened to emailing forgotten passwords?

E-mail isn't as secure, at least that's the perception. If you use your cell number, they can send a text and you have to actually have the phone in your possession to get the text. Anyone with access to a computer can potentially get to your e-mail with the forgotten password link.

What I want to know is why Google/Youtube keep insisting they need my telephone number in case I forget my password to my account. What happened to emailing forgotten passwords?

Your youtube password will give access to your gmail (if it exists), so if you can't get into youtube...

Yes, I know this. I was one of the very first vloggers on Youtube. Youtube asks for your telephone number after you login, in case you lose your password in the future and skipping it isn't intuitive. YT has my email address, which has served them well over the last 8 years I've had my account.

It is my understanding that new users setting up their account are now required to give a phone number for account verification.

"Why is it saying this, Google? What's confidential?""Bug.""That doesn't make sense, a bug arbitrarily created a banner about confid-""It's a bug. Back to your browsing. Nothing secret is happening. Bug."

What I want to know is why Google/Youtube keep insisting they need my telephone number in case I forget my password to my account. What happened to emailing forgotten passwords?

E-mail isn't as secure, at least that's the perception. If you use your cell number, they can send a text and you have to actually have the phone in your possession to get the text. Anyone with access to a computer can potentially get to your e-mail with the forgotten password link.

I could care less if someone steals my youtube channel. I should be given a choice. Want to make sure to have an ultra secure login in, give us your phone number. Want to take your chances with your email, then "do not ask for phone number again".

Is there any history of people hacking and stealing youtube channels of average users?

What I want to know is why Google/Youtube keep insisting they need my telephone number in case I forget my password to my account. What happened to emailing forgotten passwords?

Something is wrong with this voting system when a simple question warrants down votes. I think its a good question.

It's a great question, and while nobody is saying the voting system is perfect, I daresay that your downvotes come from the fact that your question is completely OT, and - as good a question as it may be, and noble an issue you are complaining of - us comment dwellers don't really appreciate a comment on a thread that merely attempts to distort the topic being discussed to the particular (unrelated) axe they felt like grinding that day.

Hey YouTube up-time verification is very important. I make sure to engage in monitoring this important service on a regular basis. You are engaging in important and respected work, and I, for one, welcome your findings and insights.

It's a tough job, but somebody has to do it. I'm working the night-shift right now, and I can confirm that it is indeed still up.

Why does YouTube have that message in the first place? Is it used to warn Google's internal testers not to leak?

It looks very much like they are testing features for a subset of their users. This is all the rage right now. In this case, probably Google employees. Some switch got flipped the wrong way and everyone got the same message they give to Google employees.

What I want to know is why Google/Youtube keep insisting they need my telephone number in case I forget my password to my account. What happened to emailing forgotten passwords?

Your youtube password will give access to your gmail (if it exists), so if you can't get into youtube...

Yes, I know this. I was one of the very first vloggers on Youtube. Youtube asks for your telephone number after you login, in case you lose your password in the future and skipping it isn't intuitive. YT has my email address, which has served them well over the last 8 years I've had my account.

It is my understanding that new users setting up their account are now required to give a phone number for account verification.

It also allows you to turn on 2-factor authentication. And then then they send a one-time code to your phone for you to enter in addition to your password.

Also, is it really so bad to have another way to get your lost password?

'Could care less could mean you care a great deal. Please internet people get it right, basic English.''No, actually it doesn't. Couldn't care less and could care less mean exactly the same thing'

Oh boy, this ol' chestnut. Warning, the rest of this post is off topic.

The likely origins of 'Could care less' are in sarcasm. As in, 'Well Im already doing my best to care so little, but Im sure there is room for even less concern.' (For an example, there is an episode of the West Wing where Toby uses it just like that in a fairly pronounced manner.)

This is the way most people including myself have always interpreted and used the phrase, but then some people started using it without any sarcasm in the tone. (Likely because theyd understood the context but not the usage.)Oh boy did shit hit the fan on the Internet.

A handful of experts in English kicked off at this usage and that filtered down to every literal minded reader on the Internet, who repeat it over and over while assuming anyone using it is an idiot.

This is typical arrogance we all try on sometimes, but also a little baffling because its certainly not the only sarcastic contradictory phrase in common usage.

Long story short, there are perfectly legitimate (and because of the subtext more advanced) uses for the phrase 'I could care less'. While it should probably be avoided because it causes arguments its always better to assume the person you are talking to isnt an idiot. After all, you may find out that the person lacking in comprehension is yourself.